The Mansion of Night
by Where-We-Are-Just-And-Loyal
Summary: Nico has nightmares about the Mansion of Night. He's about to leave the camps forever when a certain son of Apollo stops him with a gift.


Okay, I wrote this in one sitting and I didn't edit much, so I'm not sure how good it is, but oh well. Anywayyy, some angst for Nico, some Solangelo. All good things, all good things. Review and tell me how it is! it's only my second PJO fanfic.

Disclaimer: Do I look like a forty year old man to you? No? Good, because I'm not Rick Riordan.

* * *

Nico growled angrily. He was so infuriated with everyone and everything.

He had told Jason that he was staying. He had told Percy and Annabeth and all the others from the Argo II that he was staying. He had told Will, his beautiful, adorable, INFURIATING, crush that he was staying. But there wasn't any use to stay at any demigod camp when nothing would help him.

He'd had a dream.

It was a dream that he was back in Tartarus. The hellish landscape stretched out for miles and the water of the Phlegethon burned in his stomach. He had been dragging himself, exhausted, to meet Akhlys. Finally, after what seemed to be days of walking in a daze, he had reached her.

He stood in front of her, her limbs like sticks, her hair lank and her nose running. Blood poured out of her scratched cheeks and tears out of her bloodshot eyes. Misery grinned unnervingly up at him and Nico gulped.

"Shroud me in your death mist," he said.

"Why would I do that?" she croaked. Nico scowled.

"Because I'm miserable and the only stupid thing that would make me more so would be to be made of mist," he growled. Akhlys peered up at him.

"You are wonderful, boy. So much pain, so much suffering. I couldn't make you any better! Oh, I think I will shroud you. You have too much sorrow to survive Nyx's domain. Come," she stood, wobbling. Nico followed.

After Misery had summoned the mist and sent him on his way (thankfully without traps. Though she had given him an evil grin, as if she knew he wouldn't survive), Nico made his way to the realm of Night. His limbs moved within the helium-like shroud of the Death Mist. He knew that if his plan failed, he would die.

When he reached Night, he jumped. Nico figured that if she didn't like him in her domain, she could just kill him. But no, Nyx allowed him to jump into the Mansion of Night, the dark pressing on his eyes.

In the palace, he tried to keep his eyes closed, but the instant he heard a sound his eyes snapped open. He could never say what terrors were truly in that mansion, but he knew that Nyx had meant for him to see them. He knew that that was the reason that Nyx had allowed him to enter her mansion. And he knew that he would be destroyed by them, if not now, in the future.

Nico squeezed his eyes shut and tried to blot out the images. He started running. He ran until he was gasping for breath at the edge of a river, the souls trapped in it wailing.

* * *

Nico woke, shaking. He'd had nightmares before, but none about his experiences at Nyx's. He tried to close his eyes, but the images of the deepest, blackest night, impossible to describe, somehow mixed with the supernova-esque light of a god taking their true form was seared onto his eyelids. It made him feel as if he were being assaulted by all five rivers in the Underworld at once.

Nico climbed out of bed, ignoring what he'd told his friends, and grabbed his sword. He snuck out of his cabin and down the path.

"Where are you going?"

Nico whirled around, blade drawn.

"Whoa, calm down, Death Boy," came the familiar voice of Will Solace. Nico peered at Will as he started to glow a little, giving off just enough light to see each other. "A gift from my dad," Will explained when he caught the confused look on Nico's face. Nico nodded coldly.

"Bye, Will," he said. He was not going to be persuaded to stay. He was going to shadow travel to his father's realm and force Hades to let him work there. And he was never going to come back to Camp Half-Blood, or Camp Jupiter.

"Where are you going?" Will asked.

"I'm leaving."

"Why would you do that?"

"I have nothing to lose."

"What about me?"

Nico curled his lip and let the words slip out. He'd never have to face Will again, after all. "You can't lose what you never had."

Will stared at him. Nico turned to shadow travel away when Will caught his arm.

"You're not leaving, Death Boy."

"You can't stop me," Nico growled.

"I can't, huh?" Will asked. His blue eyes gleamed.

"No."

"Fine, but can I give you something for the road?"

"As long as it's quick, then just let me leave already!" Nico said angrily. He expected Will to walk back to his cabin, but he did something that surprised Nico even more.

He kissed him.

Nico started. "What was that for?" he asked incredulously.

"I thought you were leaving," Will said stonily, staring across the grass.

Nico scowled in frustration. Then he did something that surprised himself.

He grabbed Will's face and kissed him.

"What was that for?" Will asked.

"I'm staying, Sunshine," Nico said. "But you're gonna have to help me with these stupid nightmares."

"Uh, sure," Will stuttered. Nico cracked a tiny smile. Maybe Nyx's palace hadn't destroyed him yet, maybe he had to face his fears.

But now he at least had a reason to try.


End file.
